Friday March 8-Sunday March 10 DBMA Training Camp with Frankie McRae and Guro Crafty: This is the camp that was cancelled last summer due to my double adductor tear. Frankie and I have decided to hold it at his facility so as to enable all the fun and games that his facility offers-- the facility is regularly used by Special Forces and other units from nearby Ft. Bragg, where Frankie used to teach. Cost is $300 for all three days for the general public, and $250 for military, LEO, and DBMAA members. In order to help the budget conscious, those so inclined can bring a bedroll and sleep at the range (you will be sleeping indoors) or if you would rather there is a pleasant and reasonably priced motel nearby.

The Kali Tudo is where we can explore and adrenalize weaponry idioms of movement empty-handed. Not only does this have considerable merit for cage fighting but it also prepares us for faster and more efficient reactions in DLO situations wherein we often will not have time to discern whether the adversary is armed or not, let alone choose a different response accordingly.

In DLO 1 we introduced us the basics of drawing and "getting off the X". DLO 2's focus was on gun people identifying when to solve knife attacks with a gun and when to solve the attack before going to gun (i.e. the attacker is too close) and not to try to both solve the attack while drawing at the same time (a VERY common error by many gun people). DLO 3 focused on initiation and interception from "the Kali Fence".

Frank McRae is the former head of the US Army Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance Target Analysis and Exploitation Techniques Course (SFARTAETC) at Ft. Bragg N.C. He started his military career in the 1st Ranger Bn as an 11B infantryman. He served in the 1st Special Forces Group (ABN) Okinawa Japan, in Cco 1st Bn. 1st SFG(A) (C-1-1) where he was an assault team leader for F team,Troop 1 in the Combatant Commanders In-extremis Force (CIF) conducting operations in Operation Enduring Freedom. Advising, training and standing up the Light Reaction Company of the Armed Forces of the Phillipines (AFP). He was then assigned as an Instructor to the SFARTAETC at the Special Warfare Center and School in Ft. Bragg NC, was promoted and became the NCOIC of the course and awarded for having the highest graduation rate for the course in it's twenty year history . He also served as a Troop SGM Troop 1 and Team SGT ODA-354 in B co 2nd Bn 3rd SFG(A) CIF in IRAQ as an Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force (ICTF) Company SGM advisor and combat leader on many missions in Iraq and also attended the Israeli Counter-Terrorism Course as an exchange instructor.

For those of us not familiar with the acronyms with which the Army loves to speak, allow me to break this down a bit (for surely Frankie is too humble to do it himself). Frankie is a Green Beret who after extensive experience leading units in firefights in Iraq and elsewhere taught advanced firearms to his fellow Green Berets at Fort Bragg, which is one of the major bases for Green Beret/Special Forces training. As the Non-Com Officer in Charge (NCOIC) he had the highest graduation rate for the course in its history. In other words, not only does the man have a wealth of combat experience, he is one helluva a teacher as well, deeply experienced in the ways of teaching people to successfully operate in extreme adrenal state of a firefight.

THIS IS A VERY RARE COMBINATION and the opportunity to take advantage of training with such a man is one to be taken.

WHEN: The Camp will be for three days: March 8-10, 2013WHERE: The Camp will be held at Frankie's facility in Fayetteville NC http://raidontactics.com/ which is just outside of Fort Bragg. Elite units regularly contract to use this first rate facility and its trainers. Holding the Camp at Raidon means that Frankie will be on his home turf and we will have the run of this first rate training facility for our training. COST: The cost for the three days is $300 for the general public, and $250 for military, LEOs, and DBMA Association members. To further help you keep your costs down you may bring your own bedroll and sleep on the floor of one of the training rooms at the facility. For those who want the comforts of a hotel/motel, there is a very pleasant and reasonably priced one up the road.

DAY ONE: Trauma Care. Amongst his many talents, Frankie is an "18 Delta". An 18 Delta is a Special Forces Medical Sergeant and quite a bit more; his talents include teaching others how to do trauma care e.g. what to do when you or someone else is shot, stabbed, or cut until proper medical care is available.

Here is the course description for the day- With some adaptations based upon civilian realities it is based closely upon 1 Day Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) TSE-NRBL-100. TCCC is quickly becoming the standard of care for the tactical management of combat casualties within the Department of Defense and is the sole standard of care dually endorsed by both the American College of Surgeons and the National Association of EMT's for casualty management in tactical environments.

TCCC is built around three definitive phases of casualty care-we will cover the first two at the Camp:

Care Under Fire:

Care rendered at the scene of the injury while both the medic and the casualty are under hostile fire. Available medical equipment is limited to that carried by each operator and the medic and you or someone else needs fast medical care.

Tactical Field Care:

Rendered once the casualty is no longer under hostile fire. Medical equipment is still limited to that carried into the field by mission personnel. Time prior to evacuation may range from a few minutes to many hours. This will involve stabilizing a patient until medical care arrives and you are then able to assist the medical personnel because correct lifesaving measures have already been rendered to the patient.

What that means for us is that under Frankie's supervision your training will including doing cricothyroidotomies on pig windpipes and chest wound seals on pig ribs. This is training that truly maximizes your ability to remember what to do and have the confidence to do it should you ever need it!!! There will be NO LIVE ANIMALS USED FOR THIS TRAINING!

DAY TWO: Close Quarter Combat with an emphasis on fun in and around vehicles:

a. Confined space fighting to avoid hijacking b. Where and how to sit to avoid a hijacking a high crime area c. Getting out of a vehicle that is being fired upon when it can no longer move and is rendered uselessd. Firing from vehiclese. Using vehicles as cover

This course module will be conducted with Airsoft training guns in order to maximize the learning environment and maximize student involvement in a safe but challenging situational training. It is designed to get you into the adrenal state and let you understand through the use and feel of the experience what works and what does not-without killing anyone. If you do not have your own, we will provide the Airsoft pistols, rifles, and safety gear.

We feel that the airsoft training guns give the best feedback and safety needed to accommodate this type of training. If you are experienced with firearms and have never used Airsoft you will be surprised by the effect and the training value they provide.

When all is said and done this module will give you better awareness as to your situation and vulnerabilities in a vehicle but also give you added strengths that you may not have thought of in the past. It is just another way to use the tools in your tool box in a non-standard situation.

First Frankie will introduce "the Crafty Dog Shooting Stance". Though with very good reason I am quite humble about my firearms skills, applying the logic of "consistency across categories" I have based my close quarter shooting stance upon "Kali Tudo/Kali Fence" structures. In this I have been blessed to have a shooting coach such as my friend Southnark give me the room to explore this when I attend his courses. The structure seems logical and efficient to me, but I lack the basis to respect my own opinion in these things!

Thus is was of great interest to me to see what Frankie made of it when we worked together at Fort Bragg. Here is what he says:

"I wanted to let you know that since we have started working together I have learned a tremendous amount. More so with the adaptation of your fighting stance and the flexibility it offers for my Gunfighter series. I have found that it allows for a more mobile base to a more reflexive stance that keeps the shooter from becoming too lazy and moving into a Weaver stance. Indeed, I think it no less an innovation than the Weaver stance and no less deserving of its own name and hereby propose "the Crafty Dog Stance".

"Why?

"You know how I feel about a restrictive position. The Crafty Dog gives a more powerful position to the shooter to start from and makes movement easier. It is better for recoil management in a rapid shooting engagement and allows smaller shooters and women to shoot bigger handguns without all the shoulder involvement. It allows for better follow thru and for sure makes recovery easier for faster shooting and quicker target engagement for follow on shots. I just taught a three day Gunfighter course and some of the students had attended a previous course. They loved the new addition and thought it was better adapted to shooting as well. One student said it was more comfortable for him to use the Crafty Dog than a regular Isosceles because it put less stress on his lower back with all the kit on. Anything that helps our backs with 60lbs of body armor and kit has got to be better than the normal. I wanted to thank you again for the mentoring and the new techniques you have taught me. I hope one day to be able to reciprocate as much.""Frankie McRae"

I humbly blush at such praise from such a man , , , and vainly accept the naming of "The Crafty Dog Stance"

I strongly underline the point that the stance is the principal one I teach for Kali Tudo and Kali Fence application and thus there will be no change or transition necessary from other structures when a CQ gunfight goes or begins hands on.

The first part of the day will be dedicated to learning to move and shoot from the Crafty Stance. From there we will move to "Fun in and around vehicles"-which is exactly where lots of problems arise.

There will be segments concerning fighting inside the vehicle, shooting from inside the vehicle (including how to work as an effective team with your buddies), how to get out of the vehicle and fight from there, and more.

DAY THREE: Room-to-Room Armed Movement including CQB:

Often the logical thing to do will be to hunker down, call 911, and wait for the police to arrive. What are the best ways to hunker down? And, if you have to go looking for trouble, what are the best ways to do that? What to do if someone tries getting tangled up with you? We will show how DBMA techniques such as the Dog Catcher and the Dracula blend seamlessly with the Crafty Stance so you can re-establish the proper range and angles for your gun.

In closing I would like to mention a few things:

a) Because we have so much to do, the days will be longer than the usual five hours. We anticipate 6 hours for the Trauma Care and 6-8 hours for the second and third days;

b) THE COURSE IS SUITABLE FOR BEGINNERS AS WELL AS SEASONED PLAYERS. If you are a beginner ("I've always been meaning to get around to guns, but never found the right opportunity" or your shooting experience is limited to stationary shooting at stationary targets) this is an outstanding opportunity to get started the right way-with the big real world picture that a man like Frankie can convey. Because the "guns" will be airsoft, safety errors do not mean that someone will get shot. If you are a seasoned player, this camp will be one big long opportunity to pick up the gems that come from being coached by and hanging out with a high level operator instructor like Frankie McCrae.Will you be there?

As the saying goes, "Ninety percent of Life is a matter of showing up!"

Really looking forward to the March Camp. Looks like we will be able to make a lot of progress in a short time. Just want to be sure that people are prepared for the training by telling them that if you are new to shooting this is good time to train, if you are not new to the shooting realm then this is still great training for anyone. My approach is more than unorthodox to conventional thinking. I like to think that I have used my experience to narrow the gap in reflexive action to a tactical situation by using common tasks that fit the %90 rule. I believe in multi-use tactics so that you can master the basic skills needed in the adrenal state to win the fight. There really is no advanced shooting techniques just fast ass execution of the basics, that overwhelm the enemy.

I wrote an article for an online blog about three years ago called the Mindset of Combat Marksmanship. Crafty Dog and I think a lot alike in the reaction and action of a fight. The reason I say reaction first is mainly for the civilian reader that should not be the aggressor but , by no means, the victim in any situation. The fighter, whether with empty hand or implement or firearm should always be prepared for the worst case scenario they can think of in any environment they find themselves. The problem comes when the fighter does not have the thought process or experience yet to think of everything and they have to adapt what they have in hand, on the ground, or in their head to fight off an attack. with out going too deep into the physical aspects of the adrenal state. I would like to let a few readers understand my philosophy of mindset. This will also save time during the spring training camp of not having to cover something that you can read and hopefully comprehend. I am not the writer or wordsmith that Crafty Dog is by a long shot. As all learning is never finished, I have many more things to add to this article , however, I think I would always stay with these as the core tenants of survival and much more useful for victory.The Mindset of Combat Marksmanship. Combat Marksmanship (CMMS) is the ability to place lethal precision fire on a threat target in all environments under the stress of combat in order to reduce a threat to a point that it is no longer viable. CMMS differs from Marksmanship (MMS) fundamentals, in a way that, the enemy is firing at you or was just firing at you. In marksmanship shooting events, the shooter has all the time to make a shot count. In CMMS, the shooter has limited time, literally the rest of his life to perceive a threat and then eliminate that threat. When a UFC fighter goes into the octagon, they call it combat. However, is it really? He cannot bite, head butt, or gouge the opponent’s eyes. It is nothing more than a very painful athletic event. The UFC fighter has the ability to say, “I quit” or tap out. In combat, the face off of opponents is to the death, you do not have the ability to quit. If you quit it is very likely that you or someone else will die.

CMMS begins with a mindset that the shooter is going into a combat situation. When a boxer enters the ring, he expects to be hit. When a person has taken on the responsibility to protect himself or others, he has to assume that once the fight is on, it is to be to the end. It may end peacefully. Posturing may actually work. Studies show that a gun presented by a victim actually keeps the assailant at bay or runs him away. The mental decision of the “victim” to refuse to be a victim was the first action completed to save his life. That decision was made as soon as that person decided to arm himself. The correct mindset for the “Combat” situation starts with preparedness.

Preparedness is the situational awareness that something may happen and “prepares” the mind by thinking out the “what ifs”. “If this happens, I will do this……..”. This little saying is one of the best thoughts to have before something actually happens. Human reaction times to a stimulus are as fast as .25 seconds. These reaction times are achieved when a person can think thru the actions needed to accomplish a task before it is needed. This is a mental rehearsal. My collegiate wrestling coach was a big advocate of the “mental rehearsal”. Before matches, I would lie in bed the night before and mentally picture the match in my head. I would visualize the actions I was going to do first and think to myself “if this or that happens, then I will do this…..” I wrestled the match virtually many times before I wrestled it actually. Now, I am a much better shooter than I was a collegiate wrestler, but I learned a lot from those simple mental exercises. These prepared me for many situations in life. Preparedness also influences determination and the ability to be proactive.

Determination is the next principle of the mindset for combat. It is the innate personal decision to “not quit” until the situation is over. By being mentally prepared, the shooter is not as surprised at the situation and therefore not as overcome by events as someone that has no idea about what is going on. Because a person can think ahead in the gunfight, he can then realize the outcome and be proactive, not reactive. By being determined and proactive, the gunfighter has a diminished fear factor. I am not saying that there is no fear in the gunfight. There is fear, fear of others getting injured or dying and other types of fear. Maybe fear of the bad guy getting away. However, determination, the mental attitude that “I WILL NOT QUIT” carries us thru to the end of the fight. Determination gives us passion and passion can be the driving force that gets us out of bed on Saturday mornings and takes us to the range. Passion is the love that we have for activities we do. Going to the range and training for tasks that are uncomfortable or hard to accomplish. However, once we accomplish those tasks we feel gratification and satisfaction. That passion breeds more determination to excel and make ourselves better and push ourselves harder. We just have to remember, too much “can do” sometimes can do us in. We need restraint at the right time in the training cycle. We must be able to control the passion and use the smoothness we develop in our actions to develop the mental speed needed to anticipate what happens next.

Speed, both mental and physical comes by training actions repetitively. By repeating the same actions correctly many times, we “groove” that action in our brain. Once that motion is “grooved”, the action can become almost reflexive. There is no such thing as “muscle memory” per say. It is a term used to explain the reflexive actions of trained tasks that can happen with minimal outside influences. A reflex by definition is a response to a stimulus that does not need to go to the brain and be processed. It goes to the spinal column and back to the point of origin. Training increases speed. Training gives us the experience to know what should be happening next in the sequence of events.

Passion drives us to train and determination keeps us going when it gets difficult. By focusing that passion and determination, we can “push thru” to the next level of accomplishment and our speed increases. With focused power and speed, we accomplish violence of action.

Violence of Action is the execution of actions with surprisingly overwhelming force. It is a culmination of all the passion, determination and speed needed to realize victory. When faced with violence of action the assailant must reevaluate the situation. Violence of action also diminishes the bravado of the assailant and increases the bravery of the gunfighter. Violence of action is the one aspect that criminals use to surprise victims and totally dominate the situation. By dominating the situation, they control the victim. The gunfighter must use all the aspects of the COMBAT mindset to be the one that dominates the situation, eliminate any threats with the appropriate level of force and be prepared to go to that level of force. Thereby controlling the situation and being victorious.

The Combat Mindset is not a natural born ability for most people. It is and can be a learned response. In preparing oneself for the fight, the combat mindset must be mastered. You must have determination to go the distance, passion to work hard and the mental preparedness to be aware of the situation.

This promises to be an exciting class! I am looking forward to attending it, if life allows. For those of us needing to make travel arrangements, have training times for each day been set? The two times that I am specifically interested in are: Start time, Friday 8 March and End Time, Sunday 10 Mar.

each day will start at approximately 10 am and end when we get done. The will be some long days, but for Sunday we will end training at 6pm to allow travel . Drive time from RDU is about 1.5 hrs, travel from FAY is about the same.hope this helps. Crafty is getting all the info together and putting together a schedule.

Thank you for the info on the Camp. I was not expecting to have the travel expenses, but even without first experiencing it I can tell it is going to be fantastic training! -- especially with Frankie's knowledge, teaching expertise and the use of Frankie's facilities.

So as to minimize expenses if I can do that (with the new wife's 'approval' Hahaha), here are some questions:

1) What airport are we flying in to? How far is it from the airport? Taxi fine, or rental car-needed?

You will want to fly into either RDU (Raleigh NC) or FAY (Fayetteville, NC). Frankie tells me he is located mid-way between the two of them, so which one you use is simply a matter of which one offers you the better price and/or more convenient schedule. Not only is the drive from the airport is about 45-60 minutes but food and hotel will require your being able to get around so you will want to rent a car. Know that as people sign up we will put attendees looking to share a car rental in touch with each other.

2) What's the closest hotel lodging? If I was able to stay on the training facility instead, are there shower basics? What's Frankie's charge for that?

The hotel is the Micro-tel in Lillington NC 28323. I have stayed there and it is a very agreeable place with a number of restaurant options in the immediate vicinity.

Got signed up for the NC Training and finally signed up for a DBMAA membership......very much looking forward to it...........Hope to this year get more involved instead of poking around on the periphery.

OK so wanted to get on and say sorry for not being able to post anything. I had an engagement in Arlington for a friend last week. we are looking into a small "cabin" arrangement for the camp. Not sure if we will be able to get it all complete before the camp but we are investigating a small area with bunks and a shower for those needing a place to stay. The accommodation we have now is the floor of the dojo and a classroom. There is a porta john for use and showers are in my brother's house connected to the dojo. I dont like to make that too available for people because he does have a life and I dont like to impose too much. but we are working on it. And if all else fails we have a water hose out side(haha) for those that really stink. We will keep you posted with updates. Talk with you guys later. Frankie

There is no way we will have a "cabin" done in time for the camp. there is a plumbing issue that will delay that effort until next year. but that still doesnt mean you cant stay for sure. We have one range member that has proposed that you guys can stay at his house just around the corner(country corner) from the range. but I need a good count of how many people want to sleep in the Dojo. So use the email string that Crafty Dog has started to let me know. Looks ike things are coming together rather niceley for the camp.

Alas, I have ran in to a serious roadblock that has made it impossible for me to attend. My disappointment is beyond words. I wish everyone the best of luck and hope to train with you all in the future.

Excited to be signed up and attending. Trust my aging and out of shape carcass will manage to keep up.

Plan to stay at the hotel, but won't be able to book it until I'm sure a potential complication isn't going to sneak up on me. If worse comes to worse, got a couple of trees I can hang a hammock from? I backpack a lot and it's my preferred way of snoozing in the field.

More than happy to share my shower if I do manage to book a room. Look forward to training with y'all.

Day 2 at the Camp. Frankie taught the , , , ahem , , , "Crafty Dog shooting stance" ("Hell Marc, if Weaver gets a stance named after him, you should get this one named after you!") and intro to shooting from and bailing from cars.

Dinner conversation tonight was a wonderous flow of war stories from Frankie with a number of goodly police stories thrown in as well.

Tomorrow: shoot house games-- there's a rumor Frankie may be playing too , , ,

Frankie demonstrated this morning why he has converted to the Crafty Stance this morning in an amazing display; including with pistol, AK, AK full auto, and something else really big full auto, and shotgun.

The shoot house games today were the highlight of the Camp. The games (airsoft) began with 3-4 of us at a time scattered throughout the house at a time in locations of our choosing and then Frankie coming through the house and taking all of us on.

When my turn came I thought I had a clever spot from which to intercept. Instead his first shot hit me dead center in the forehead while mine went high (yes he actually could see that my aim was high while he was hitting me) and then as I flinched he put 4 in my ribs/lung/heart/other lung and as I turned to face him again 2 more in my heart and then stomped me in the chest for good measure as he proceeded on to his next kills.

The number of shots he took in return over his engagments with the 20 of us (a number of whom had goodly gunning experience) was shockingly low. Perhaps having done some 150 home invasions and been through some 126 firefights had something to do with it?

Having seen it "fought" we were quite ready to be taught. He broke down what he had done and how he had done it and then coached each of us individually through house adjusting our technique before errors could take root.

Then to cement the experience we repeated the experience with a series of shoot/don't shoot silhouettes and finished by going up against each other.